Cotton cultivar L-373

ABSTRACT

A cotton cultivar, designated L-373, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of cotton cultivar L-373, to the plants of cotton L-373 and to methods for producing a cotton plant produced by crossing the cultivar L-373 with itself or another cotton variety. The invention further relates to hybrid cotton seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar L-373 with another cotton cultivar.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seed, a cotton plant, a cotton cultivar, and a cotton hybrid. This disclosure further relates to a method for producing cotton seed and plants. All publications cited in this application are herein incorporated by reference.

Cotton, including Gossypium hirsutum (Acala) and Gossypium barbadense (Pima), is an important and valuable field crop. Thus, a continuing goal of cotton plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding cotton cultivars of both cotton species that are agronomically sound. The reasons for this goal are to maximize the amount and quality of the fiber produced on the land used and to supply fiber, oil, and food for animals and humans. To accomplish this goal, the cotton breeder must select and develop plants that have the traits that result in superior cultivars.

The development of new cotton cultivars requires the evaluation and selection of parents and the crossing of these parents. The lack of predictable success of a given cross requires that a breeder, in any given year, make several crosses with the same or different breeding objectives.

The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification.

SUMMARY

The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described in conjunction with systems, tools, and methods, which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.

One or more embodiments relate to a cotton seed, a cotton plant, a cotton cultivar, and a method for producing a cotton plant.

One or more embodiments further relates to a method of producing cotton seeds and plants by crossing a plant of the instant invention with another cotton plant.

One aspect of the present invention relates to seed of the cotton variety L-373. Another aspect also relates to plants produced by growing the seed of the cotton variety L-373, as well as the derivatives of such plants. As used herein, the term “plant” includes plant cells, plant protoplasts, plant cells of a tissue culture from which cotton plants can be regenerated, plant calli, plant clumps, and plant cells that are intact in plants or parts of plants, such as pollen, flowers, seeds, bolls, leaves, stems, and the like.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a tissue culture of regenerable cells of the cotton variety L-373, as well as plants regenerated therefrom, wherein the regenerated cotton plant expresses all the physiological and morphological characteristics of a plant grown from the cotton seed designated L-373.

Yet another aspect of the current invention is a cotton plant of the cotton variety L-373 comprising at least a first transgene, wherein the cotton plant is otherwise capable of expressing all the physiological and morphological characteristics of the cotton variety L-373. In particular, embodiments of the invention, a plant is provided that comprises a single locus conversion. A single locus conversion may comprise a transgenic gene, which has been introduced by genetic transformation into the cotton variety L-373 or a progenitor thereof. A transgenic or non-transgenic single locus conversion can also be introduced by backcrossing, as is well known in the art. In certain embodiments of the invention, the single locus conversion may comprise a dominant or recessive allele. The locus conversion may confer potentially any desired trait upon the plant as described herein.

Still yet, another aspect of the invention relates to a first generation (F₁) hybrid cotton seed produced by crossing a plant of the cotton variety L-373 to a second cotton plant. Also included in the invention are the F₁ hybrid cotton plants grown from the hybrid seed produced by crossing the cotton variety L-373 to a second cotton plant. Still further included in the invention are the seeds of an F₁ hybrid plant produced with the cotton variety L-373 as one parent, the second generation (F₂) hybrid cotton plant grown from the seed of the F₁ hybrid plant, and the seeds of the F₂ hybrid plant.

Still yet, another aspect of the invention is a method of producing cotton seeds comprising crossing a plant of the cotton variety L-373 to any second cotton plant, including itself or another plant of the variety L-373. In particular, embodiments of the invention, the method of crossing comprises the steps of: (a) planting seeds of the cotton variety L-373; (b) cultivating cotton plants resulting from said seeds until said plants bear flowers; (c) allowing fertilization of the flowers of said plants; and (d) harvesting seeds produced from said plants.

Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method of producing hybrid cotton seeds comprising crossing the cotton variety L-373 to a second, distinct cotton plant which is nonisogenic to the cotton variety L-373. In particular embodiments of the invention, the crossing comprises the steps of: (a) planting seeds of cotton variety L-373 and a second, distinct cotton plant; (b) cultivating the cotton plants grown from the seeds until the plants bear flowers; (c) cross pollinating a flower on one of the two plants with the pollen of the other plant; and (d) harvesting the seeds resulting from the cross pollinating.

Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method for developing a cotton plant in a cotton breeding program comprising: (a) obtaining a cotton plant, or its parts, of the variety L-373; and (b) employing said plant or parts as a source of breeding material using plant breeding techniques. In the method, the plant breeding techniques may be selected from the group consisting of recurrent selection, mass selection, bulk selection, backcrossing, pedigree breeding, genetic marker-assisted selection, and genetic transformation. In certain embodiments of the invention, the cotton plant of variety L-373 is used as the male or female parent.

Still yet another aspect of the invention is a method of producing a cotton plant derived from the cotton variety L-373, the method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived from cotton variety L-373 by crossing a plant of the cotton variety L-373 with a second cotton plant; and (b) crossing the progeny plant with itself or a second plant to produce a progeny plant of a subsequent generation which is derived from a plant of the cotton variety L-373. In one embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises: (c) crossing the progeny plant of a subsequent generation with itself or a second plant; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for at least 2-10 additional generations to produce an inbred cotton plant derived from the cotton variety L-373. Also provided by the invention is a plant produced by this and the other methods of the invention. Plant variety L-373-derived plants produced by this and the other methods of the invention described herein may, in certain embodiments of the invention, be further defined as comprising the traits of plant variety L-373 given in Table 1.

The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.”

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention may become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating specific embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

In another aspect, the present invention provides regenerable cells for use in tissue culture of cotton plant L-373. The tissue culture may be capable of regenerating plants having the physiological and morphological characteristics of the foregoing cotton plant, and of regenerating plants having substantially the same genotype as the foregoing cotton plant. The regenerable cells in such tissue cultures may be embryos, protoplasts, meristematic cells, callus, pollen, leaves, anthers, pistils, roots, root tips, flowers, seeds, or stems. Still further, the present invention provides cotton plants regenerated from the tissue cultures of the invention.

In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments may become apparent by study of the following descriptions.

DEFINITIONS

In the description and tables, which follow, a number of terms are used. In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of the specification and claims, including the scope to be given such terms, the following definitions are provided:

100 seeds. As used herein “100 seeds” is a measurement in grams of the total weight of one hundred seeds.

Allele. Allele is any of one or more alternative forms of a gene, all of which relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cell or organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding loci on a pair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing. Backcrossing is a process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybrid progeny back to one of the parents, for example, a first generation hybrid F₁ with one of the parental genotypes of the F₁ hybrid.

Kleistogamia or cleistogamy. As used herein “Kleistogamia or cleistogamy” is a trait of certain plants to propagate by using non-opening, self-pollinating flowers.

Disease Resistance. As used herein, the term “disease resistance” is defined as the ability of plants to restrict the activities of a specified pest, such as an insect, fungus, virus, or bacterial.

Disease Tolerance. As used herein, the term “disease tolerance” is defined as the ability of plants to endure a specified pest (such as an insect, fungus, virus or bacteria) or an adverse environmental condition and still perform and produce in spite of this disorder.

Essentially all of the physiological and morphological characteristics. Essentially all of the physiological and morphological characteristics means a plant having essentially all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of the recurrent parent, except for the characteristics derived from the converted trait.

Elongation (E1). As used herein, the term “elongation” is defined as the measure of elasticity of a bundle of fibers as measured by HVI.

Length (LEN). As used herein, the term “length” is defined as 2.5% span length in inches of fiber as measured by High Volume Instrumentation (HVI).

Fiber Strength (STR). As used herein, the term “fiber strength” is defined as the force required to break a bundle of fibers as measured in grams per millitex on the HVI.

Fiber Uniformity: Fiber uniformity index (UNIF) provides a relative measure of the length uniformity of cotton fibers. Uniformity is calculated as the ratio of the average length of all fibers to the average length of the longest 50 percent of the fibers in the sample. High uniformity values indicate uniform fiber length distribution and are associated with a high-quality product and with low manufacturing waste.

Fruiting Nodes. As used herein, the term “fruiting nodes” is defined as the number of nodes on the main stem from which arise branches which bear fruit or bolls.

Gin Turnout (GTO). As used herein, the term “gin turnout” is defined as a fraction of lint in a machine harvested sample of seed cotton (lint, seed, and trash).

Lint/Boll. As used herein, the term “lint/boll” is the weight of lint per boll.

Lint Index. As used herein, the term “lint index” refers to the weight of lint per seed in milligrams.

Lint Percent. As used herein, the term “lint percent” is defined as the lint (fiber) fraction of seed cotton (lint and seed). Also known as lint turnout.

Lint Yield. As used herein, the term “lint yield” is defined as the measure of the quantity of fiber produced on a given unit of land. Presented below in pounds of lint per acre.

Maturity. As used herein, the term “maturity” is defined as the HVI machine rating which refers to the degree of development of thickening of the fiber cell wall relative to the perimeter or effective diameter of the fiber.

Maturity Rating (MAT). As used herein, the term “maturity rating” is defined as a visual rating of plants of a variety, when 50% of all plants in two middle rows have at least one open boll.

Micronaire (MIC). As used herein, the term “micronaire” is defined as a measure of the fineness of the fiber. Within a cotton cultivar, micronaire is also a measure of maturity. Micronaire differences are governed by changes in perimeter or in cell wall thickness, or by changes in both. Within a cultivar, cotton perimeter is fairly constant and maturity will cause a change in micronaire. Consequently, micronaire has a high correlation with maturity within a variety of cotton. Maturity is the degree of development of cell wall thickness. Micronaire may not have a good correlation with maturity between varieties of cotton having different fiber perimeter. Micronaire values range from about 2.0 to 6.0:

Below 2.9 Very fine Possible small perimeter but mature (good fiber), or large perimeter but immature (bad fiber). 2.9 to 3.7 Fine Various degrees of maturity and/or perimeter. 3.8 to 4.6 Average Average degree of maturity and/or perimeter. 4.7 to 5.5 Coarse Usually fully-developed (mature), but larger perimeter. 5.6+ Very coarse Fully-developed, large-perimeter fiber.

Plant Height. As used herein, the term “plant height” is defined as the average height in inches or centimeters of a group of plants.

Seed/boll. As used herein, the term “seed/boll” refers to the number of seeds per boll.

Weight of boll (BOLL). As used herein, the term “weight of boll” refers to the weight of a cotton boll in grams.

Single Trait Converted (Conversion). Single trait converted (conversion) plant refers to plants which are developed by a plant breeding technique called backcrossing or via genetic engineering wherein essentially all of the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in addition to the single trait transferred into the variety via the backcrossing technique or via genetic engineering.

Stremma (strm). As used herein, the term “stremma” is defined as 1/10 of a hectare.

Vegetative Nodes. As used herein, the term “vegetative nodes” is defined as the number of nodes from the cotyledonary node to the first fruiting branch on the main stem of the plant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Cotton cultivar L-373 is a Gossypium hirsutum cotton variety, which has shown uniformity and stability, as described in the following Variety Description Information. It has been self-pollinated a sufficient number of generations with careful attention to uniformity of plant type. The cultivar has been increased with continued observation to uniformity.

Cotton cultivar L-373 has the following morphologic and other characteristics from data taken in the Thiva region of Greece.

TABLE 1 VARIETY DESCRIPTION INFORMATION Species: Gossypium hirsutum L. Cultivar name: L-373 General: Plant Habit: Spreading Plant height: 95 cm to 105 cm Foliage: Medium Stem Lodging: Resistant Fruiting Branch: Non-clustered Growth (Determinate or Indeterminate): Indeterminate Leaf Color: Medium Green Boll Shape: Conical Maturity: Date of 50% open bolls: 101 days to 105 days Plant: Centimeters to 1^(st) Fruiting Branch 12 cm to 15 cm (from cotyledonary node): Number of nodes to 1^(st) Fruiting Branch 5 to 6 (excluding cotyledonary node): Mature Plant Height 85 cm to 95 cm (from cotyledonary node to terminal): Leaf (Upper-most, fully expanded leaf): Type: Palmate Pubescence: Strong Nectaries: Present Glands: Leaf: Present Bract size: Medium Flower: Petals (color): Cream Pollen (color): Cream Petal Spot: Absent Seed: Seed Index: 10.8 gr Boll: Gin turnout: 40.1% Grams Seed Cotton per Boll: 6.4 g Number of Locules per Boll: 4 to 5 Fiber Properties: Method (HVI or other): HVI Length (inches, 2.5% SL): 1.14 Uniformity (%): 85.5 Strength (g/tex): 30.4 Elongation (%): 6.0 Micronaire: 4.3 Resistances: Verticillium wilt resistance

The performance characteristics of cotton cultivar L-373 were also analyzed, as shown in Table 2, Table 3 and Table 4. In Table 2, Table 3, and Table 4, a test was established based on a distance between rows of 98 cm. The test had four replications in Thiva region of Greece with a sowing date of May 22, 2011. L-373 was compared with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars L-3233 and L-269 as well as commercial cotton cultivars Atlanta, Lider, ST-463, Babylon, Celia and DP-419 on randomly located sites with a distance between rows of 98 cm with one plot of four rows per 10 meters each. The plant to plant distance was 20 cm. Sowing was by manual sowing machine and picking two middle rows by hand. Irrigation was by irrigation boom and the sites were irrigated on May 25, 2011, Jul. 7, 2011, Jul. 19, 2011, Aug. 1, 2011 and Aug. 16, 2011. A N15, P15, and K15 type fertilizer was applied on May 19, 2011 at a rate of 300 kg/hectare. A N16 and P20 type fertilizer was applied on Jul. 3, 2011 at a rate of 300 kg/hectare. A cotorane type pesticide was applied on May 22, 2011.

Twenty-five mature open bolls per replication and per variety were randomly selected aiming to test them for HVI test. Hand picking of cotton was from two middle rows per replication and per variety. The collected cotton was weighed separately to estimate the total yield.

In Table 2, the first column shows the variety name. Column two shows total yield results in (kg/ha) for the tested varieties at the four test sites. Column three shows the total lint yield in (kg/ha) for the tested varieties at the four test sites. Column four shows the gin turn out percentage (GTO) for the tested varieties at the four test sites. Column five shows the weight of a boll in grams (BOLL) for the tested varieties at the four test sites.

TABLE 2 LINT BOLL YIELD YIELD GTO WEIGHT VARIETY (kg/ha (kg/ha) (%) (gr) L-373 4013 1607 40.1 6.4 L-269 3829 1535 40.1 6.2 L-3233 4296 1813 42.2 5.8 ATLANTA 3724 1450 38.9 6.0 LIDER 3237 1299 40.1 5.3 ST-463 3197 1199 37.5 6.4 BABYLON 3086 1229 39.8 5.4 CELIA 3026 1189 39.3 7.2 DP-419 2638 992 37.6 6.6

In Table 3, the first column shows the variety name. Column two shows the weight of 100 seeds in grams for the tested varieties for four sites. Column three shows the average number of seeds per bolls for the tested varieties for four sites. Column four shows the total number of bolls per plant for the tested varieties. Column five show the total number of open bolls per plant. Column six shows the percentage of open bolls per plant.

TABLE 3 100 SEEDS WEIGHT NO. SEEDS BOLL BOLL BOLL VARIETY (gr) PER BOLL (total) (open) (open %) L-373 10.8 33.8 17.6 14.6 83.0 L-269 10.7 33.3 17.0 14.0 82.6 L-3233 11.7 29.5 17.4 15.5 88.8 ATLANTA 10.9 33.3 15.6 13.1 84.1 LIDER 10.4 33.3 19.9 12.6 63.1 ST-463 11.7 33.3 16.1 10.0 62.5 BABYLON 10.8 33.1 18.3 10.7 59.1 CELIA 12.2 34.7 15.0 10.2 67.5 DP-419 11.6 35.4 16.0 7.0 43.2

In Table 4, the first column shows the variety name. Column two shows the fiber length (LEN) in millimeters. Column three shows fiber strength (STR). Column four shows micronaire (MIC). Column five shows the Verticillium wilt resistance percentage based on the percentage of plants with visual symptoms of wilt (WILT), where Verticillium wilt is a wilt disease caused by a Verticillium fungus and column six shows the maturity in days (MAT).

TABLE 4 WILT MAT VARIETY LEN STR MIC (%) (days) L-373 29.1 30.4 4.3 5.8 101.0 L-269 29.7 31.2 4.1 3.3 101.5 L-3233 30.0 30.6 4.8 4.8 101.0 ATLANTA 29.6 30.6 4.1 9.3 102.5 LIDER 28.9 31.2 4.4 16.8 111.5 ST-463 29.2 32.4 4.8 15.8 111.0 BABYLON 28.8 30.4 4.5 14.5 110.0 CELIA 29.4 31.3 4.4 16.3 111.0 DP-419 28.8 30.1 4.6 23.8 114.0

The performance characteristics of cotton cultivar L-373 were also analyzed, as shown in Table 5, Table 6 and Table 7. In Table 5, Table 6, and Table 7, a test was established based on a distance between rows of 98 cm. The test had four replications in the Thiva region of Greece with a sowing date of May 5, 2010. L-373 compared with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars L-3233 and L-269 as well as commercial cotton cultivars Atlanta, Lider, ST-463, Celia and DP-419 on randomly located sites with a distance between rows of 98 cm with one plot of four rows per 10 meters each. The distance between each plant was 20 cm. The plant to plant distance was 20 cm. Sowing was by manual sowing machine and picking two middle rows by hand. Irrigation was by irrigation boom and the sites were irrigated on May 5, 2010, Jun. 8, 2010, Jul. 7, 2010, Aug. 21, 2010 and Aug. 21, 2010. A N15, P15, and K15 type fertilizer was applied on May 5, 2010 and Jun. 6, 2010 at a rate of 300 kg/hectare. A cotorane type pesticide was applied on May 9, 2010.

Twenty-five mature open bolls per replication and per variety were randomly selected aiming to test them for HVI test. Hand picking of cotton from two middle rows per replication and per variety. The collected cotton was weighed separately aiming to estimate the total yield.

In Table 5, the first column shows the variety name. Column two shows total yield results in (kg/ha) for the tested varieties at the four test sites. Column three shows the total lint yield in (kg/ha) for the tested varieties at the four test sites. Column four shows the gin turn out percentage (GTO) for the tested varieties at the four test sites. Column five shows the weight of a boll in grams (BOLL) for the tested varieties at the four test sites.

TABLE 5 LINT BOLL YIELD YIELD GTO WEIGHT VARIETY (kg/ha) (kg/ha) (%) (gr) L-373 3632 1431 39.4 6.32 L-269 3467 1384 39.9 5.75 L-3233 3632 1473 40.6 5.68 CELIA 3592 1507 42.0 6.76 ATLANTA 3513 1378 39.2 6.12 LIDER 3217 1414 44.0 5.49 DP-419 3007 1181 39.3 6.62 ST-463 2934 1167 39.8 6.86

In Table 6, the first column shows the variety name. Column two shows the weight of 100 seeds in grams for the tested varieties for four sites. Column three shows the total number of bolls per plant for the tested varieties. Column four show the total number of open bolls per plant. Column five shows the percentage of open bolls per plant.

TABLE 6 100 SEEDS WEIGHT BOLL BOLL BOLL VARIETY (gr) (total) (open) (open %) L-373 11.5 18.5 17.5 94.9 L-269 10.4 18.4 17.1 93.2 L-3233 12.1 20.8 18.9 90.9 CELIA 11.7 17.8 16.6 93.3 ATLANTA 11.4 18.0 16.2 90.0 LIDER 10.4 19.8 15.8 79.5 DP-419 12.0 19.5 14.5 74.1 ST-463 12.0 17.2 14.7 85.2

In Table 7, the first column shows the variety name. Column two shows the fiber length (LEN) in millimeters. Column three shows fiber strength (STR). Column four shows micronaire (MIC). Column five shows the maturity in days (MAT).

TABLE 7 MAT VARIETY LEN STR MIC (days) L-373 30.2 32.2 4.3 98.5 L-269 30.2 31.4 4.1 99.0 L-3233 30.3 34.1 4.7 101.0 CELIA 28.7 31.3 5.0 109.5 ATLANTA 29.6 30.8 4.4 100.5 LIDER 29.1 33.2 5.0 111.5 DP-419 28.9 31.9 5.1 113.5 ST-463 29.6 32.7 5.0 110.5

The performance characteristics of cotton cultivar L-373 were also analyzed, as shown in Table 8 and Table 9. In Table 8 and Table 9, a test was established based on a distance between rows of 98 cm. The test had four replications in the Thiva region of Greece with a sowing date of May 15, 2009. L-373 compared with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivars L-3233 and L-269 as well as commercial cotton cultivars Atlanta, Campo, Lambada, ST-463, Celia and DP-419 on randomly located sites with a distance between rows of 98 cm with one plot of four rows per 10 meters each. The distance between each plant was 20 cm. Sowing was by manual sowing machine and picking two middle rows by hand. Irrigation was by irrigation boom and the sites were irrigated on May 22, 2009, Jun. 12, 2009, Jun. 26, 2009, Jul. 27, 2009, Aug. 7, 2009 and Sep. 18, 2009. A N15, P15, and K15 type fertilizer was applied on May 15, 2009 at a rate of 300 kg/hectare. An urea type fertilizer was applied on Jun. 11, 2009 at a rate of 200 kg/hectare and a second urea type fertilizer was applied on Jun. 19, 2009 at a rate of 300 kg/hectare. A cotorane type pesticide was applied on May 15, 2009.

Twenty-five mature open bolls per replication and per variety were randomly selected aiming to test them for HVI test. Hand picking of cotton from two middle rows per replication and per variety. The collected cotton was weighed separately aiming to estimate the total yield.

In Table 8, the first column shows the variety name. Column two shows total yield results in (kg/ha) for the tested varieties at the four test sites. Column three shows the total lint yield in (kg/ha) for the tested varieties at the four test sites. Column four shows the gin turn out percentage (GTO) for the tested varieties at the four test sites. Column five shows the weight of a boll in grams (BOLL) for the tested varieties at the four test sites.

TABLE 8 LINT BOLL YIELD YIELD GTO WEIGHT VARIETY (kg/ha) (kg/ha) (%) (gr) L-373 4765 202.1 42.4 7.0 L-269 4565 190.7 41.8 6.8 L-3233 4592 194.5 42.4 6.1 ATLANTA 4555 182.8 40.1 6.7 LAMBADA 4390 177.4 40.4 6.8 CAMPO 4261 182.5 42.8 6.0 ST-463 4247 173.5 40.9 7.4 CELIA 4137 175.3 42.4 7.7 DP419 4052 164.4 40.6 7.1

In Table 9, the first column shows the variety name. Column two shows weight of 100 seeds in grams. Column three shows the fiber length (LEN) in millimeters. Column four shows fiber strength (STR). Column five shows micronaire (MIC). Column six shows the Verticillium wilt resistance percentage based on the percentage of plants with visual symptoms of wilt (WILT) and column seven shows the maturity in days (MAT).

TABLE 9 100 SEEDS WEIGHT WILT VARIETY (gr) LEN STR MIC (%) MAT L-373 10.7 30.0 31.8 4.4 9 99.5 L-269 10.9 30.4 32.3 4.2 5 100.8 L-3233 11.5 30.6 31.8 4.7 6 106.0 ATLANTA 10.5 29.8 31.5 4.1 8 101.3 LAMBADA 11.7 29.4 33.3 4.8 11 102.0 CAMPO 10.7 29.4 31.8 4.9 14 113.3 ST-463 11.5 31.0 32.6 5.0 8 116.8 CELIA 12.2 30.2 32.9 4.8 10 116.0 DP419 11.9 29.4 31.7 4.8 13 114.5

An embodiment of the invention is also directed to methods for producing a cotton plant by crossing a first parent cotton plant with a second parent cotton plant, wherein the first or second cotton plant is the cotton plant from the cultivar L-373. Further, both the first and second parent cotton plants may be the cultivar L-373 (e.g., self-pollination). Therefore, any methods using the cultivar L-373 are part of this invention: selling, backcrosses, hybrid breeding, and crosses to populations. Any plants produced using cultivar L-373 as parents are within the scope of this invention. As used herein, the term “plant” includes plant cells, plant protoplasts, plant cells of tissue culture from which cotton plants can be regenerated, plant calli, plant clumps, and plant cells that are intact in plants or parts of plants, such as pollen, flowers, embryos, ovules, seeds, leaves, stems, roots, anthers, pistils, and the like. Thus, another aspect of this invention is to provide for cells which upon growth and differentiation produce a cultivar having essentially all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of L-373.

An embodiment of the invention contemplates a cotton plant regenerated from a tissue culture of a cultivar (e.g., L-373) or hybrid plant of the present invention. As is well known in the art, tissue culture of cotton can be used for the in vitro regeneration of a cotton plant. Tissue culture of various tissues of cotton and regeneration of plants therefrom is well known and widely published.

There are numerous steps in the development of any desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is to combine in a single cultivar an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. In cotton, the important traits include higher fiber (lint) yield, earlier maturity, improved fiber quality, resistance to diseases and insects, resistance to drought and heat, and improved agronomic traits.

Choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plant reproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and the type of cultivar used commercially (e.g., F₁ hybrid cultivar, pureline cultivar, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superior individual plants evaluated at a single location will be effective, whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based on mean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of related plants. Popular selection methods commonly include pedigree selection, modified pedigree selection, mass selection, and recurrent selection.

The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method. Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes for a highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach has been used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars. Various recurrent selection techniques are used to improve quantitatively inherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use of recurrent selection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination, the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination, and the number of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.

Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation of the efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria vary depending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain from selection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard, overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successful cultivars produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollar expended, etc.).

Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared to popular cultivars in environments representative of the commercial target area(s) for three or more years. The lines having superiority over the popular cultivars are candidates to become new commercial cultivars. Those lines still deficient in a few traits are discarded or utilized as parents to produce new populations for further selection.

These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing and distribution, usually take from seven to twelve years from the time the first cross is made. Therefore, development of new cultivars is a time-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficient use of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.

A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that are genetically superior because for most traits the true genotypic value is masked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors. One method of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performance relative to other experimental lines and widely grown standard cultivars. For many traits a single observation is inconclusive, and replicated observations over time and space are required to provide a good estimate of a line's genetic worth.

The goal of a commercial cotton breeding program is to develop new, unique, and superior cotton cultivars. The breeder initially selects and crosses two or more parental lines, followed by generation advancement and selection, thus producing many new genetic combinations. The breeder can theoretically generate billions of different genetic combinations via this procedure. The breeder has no direct control over which genetic combinations will arise in the limited population size which is grown. Therefore, two breeders will never develop the same line having the same traits.

Each year, the plant breeder selects the germplasm to advance to the next generation. This germplasm is grown under unique and different geographical, climatic, and soil conditions, and further selections are then made, during and at the end of the growing season. The lines which are developed are unpredictable. This unpredictability is because the breeder's selection occurs in unique environments, with no control at the DNA level (using conventional breeding procedures), and with millions of different possible genetic combinations being generated. A breeder of ordinary skill in the art cannot predict the final resulting lines he develops, except possibly in a very gross and general fashion. The same breeder cannot produce, with any reasonable likelihood, the same cultivar twice by using the exact same original parents and the same selection techniques. This unpredictability results in the expenditure of large amounts of research moneys to develop superior new cotton cultivars.

Pureline cultivars of cotton are commonly bred by hybridization of two or more parents followed by selection. The complexity of inheritance, the breeding objectives, and the available resources influence the breeding method. Pedigree breeding, recurrent selection breeding, and backcross breeding are breeding methods commonly used in self-pollinated crops such as cotton. These methods refer to the manner in which breeding pools or populations are made in order to combine desirable traits from two or more cultivars or various broad-based sources. The procedures commonly used for selection of desirable individuals or populations of individuals are called mass selection, plant-to-row selection, and single seed descent or modified single seed descent. One, or a combination of, these selection methods can be used in the development of a cultivar from a breeding population.

Pedigree breeding is primarily used to combine favorable genes into a totally new cultivar that is different in many traits than either parent used in the original cross. It is commonly used for the improvement of self-pollinating crops. Two parents which possess favorable, complementary traits are crossed to produce an F₁ (filial generation 1). An F₂ population is produced by selfing F₂ plants. Selection of desirable individual plants may begin as early as the F₂ generation wherein maximum gene segregation occurs. Individual plant selection can occur for one or more generations. Successively, seed from each selected plant can be planted in individual, identified rows or hills, known as progeny rows or progeny hills, to evaluate the line and to increase the seed quantity, or to further select individual plants. Once a progeny row or progeny hill is selected as having desirable traits, it becomes what is known as a breeding line that is specifically identifiable from other breeding lines that were derived from the same original population. At an advanced generation (i.e., F₅ or higher) seed of individual lines are evaluated in replicated testing. At an advanced stage the best lines or a mixture of phenotypically similar lines from the same original cross are tested for potential release as new cultivars.

The single seed descent procedure in the strict sense refers to planting a segregating population, harvesting one seed from every plant, and combining these seeds into a bulk which is planted as the next generation. When the population has been advanced to the desired level of inbreeding, the plants from which lines are derived will each trace to different F₂ individuals. Primary advantages of the seed descent procedures are to delay selection until a high level of homozygosity (e.g., lack of gene segregation) is achieved in individual plants, and to move through these early generations quickly, usually through using winter nurseries.

The modified single seed descent procedures involve harvesting multiple seed (i.e., a single lock or a simple boll) from each plant in a population and combining them to form a bulk. Part of the bulk is used to plant the next generation and part is put in reserve. This procedure has been used to save labor at harvest and to maintain adequate seed quantities of the population.

Selection for desirable traits can occur at any segregating generation (F₂ and above). Selection pressure is exerted on a population by growing the population in an environment where the desired trait is maximally expressed and the individuals or lines possessing the trait can be identified. For instance, selection can occur for disease resistance when the plants or lines are grown in natural or artificially-induced disease environments, and the breeder selects only those individuals having little or no disease and are thus assumed to be resistant.

In addition to phenotypic observations, the genotype of a plant can also be examined. There are many laboratory-based techniques available for the analysis, comparison, and characterization of plant genotype. Among these are Isozyme Electrophoresis, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLPs), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), Arbitrarily Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs), Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs), Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs—which are also referred to as Microsatellites), and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs).

Isozyme Electrophoresis and RFLPs have been widely used to determine genetic composition. Shoemaker and Olsen, (Molecular Linkage Map of Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) pp. 6.131-6.138 in S. J. O'Brien (Ed.) Genetic Maps: Locus Maps of Complex Genomes, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., (1993)) developed a molecular genetic linkage map that consisted of 25 linkage groups with about 365 RFLP, 11 RAPD, three classical markers, and four isozyme loci. See also, Shoemaker, R. C., RFLP Map of Soybean, pp. 299-309, in Phillips, R. L. and Vasil, I. K. (Eds.), DNA-Based Markers in Plants, Kluwer Academic Press, Dordrecht, the Netherlands (1994).

SSR technology is currently the most efficient and practical marker technology; more marker loci can be routinely used and more alleles per marker locus can be found using SSRs in comparison to RFLPs. For example, Diwan and Cregan described a highly polymorphic microsatellite locus in soybean with as many as 26 alleles. Diwan, N. and Cregan, P. B., Theor. Appl. Genet., 95:22-225 (1997). SNPs may also be used to identify the unique genetic composition of the invention and progeny varieties retaining that unique genetic composition. Various molecular marker techniques may be used in combination to enhance overall resolution.

Molecular markers, which includes markers identified through the use of techniques such as Isozyme Electrophoresis, RFLPs, RAPDs, AP-PCR, DAF, SCARs, AFLPs, SSRs, and SNPs, may be used in plant breeding. One use of molecular markers is Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping. QTL mapping is the use of markers which are known to be closely linked to alleles that have measurable effects on a quantitative trait. Selection in the breeding process is based upon the accumulation of markers linked to the positive effecting alleles and/or the elimination of the markers linked to the negative effecting alleles from the plant's genome.

Molecular markers can also be used during the breeding process for the selection of qualitative traits. For example, markers closely linked to alleles or markers containing sequences within the actual alleles of interest can be used to select plants that contain the alleles of interest during a backcrossing breeding program. For example, molecular markers are used in soybean breeding for selection of the trait of resistance to soybean cyst nematode, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,967. The markers can also be used to select toward the genome of the recurrent parent and against the markers of the donor parent. Using this procedure can attempt to minimize the amount of genome from the donor parent that remains in the selected plants. It can also be used to reduce the number of crosses back to the recurrent parent needed in a backcrossing program. The use of molecular markers in the selection process is often called Genetic Marker Enhanced Selection. Molecular markers may also be used to identify and exclude certain sources of germplasm as parental varieties or ancestors of a plant by providing a means of tracking genetic profiles through crosses as discussed more fully hereinafter.

Mutation breeding is another method of introducing new traits into cotton varieties. Mutations that occur spontaneously or are artificially induced can be useful sources of variability for a plant breeder. The goal of artificial mutagenesis is to increase the rate of mutation for a desired characteristic. Mutation rates can be increased by many different means including temperature, long-term seed storage, tissue culture conditions, radiation (such as X-rays, Gamma rays, neutrons, Beta radiation, or ultraviolet radiation), chemical mutagens (such as base analogues like 5-bromo-uracil), antibiotics, alkylating agents (such as sulfur mustards, nitrogen mustards, epoxides, ethyleneamines, sulfates, sulfonates, sulfones, or lactones), azide, hydroxylamine, nitrous acid, or acridines. Once a desired trait is observed through mutagenesis the trait may then be incorporated into existing germplasm by traditional breeding techniques. Details of mutation breeding can be found in Principles of Cultivar Development by Fehr, Macmillan Publishing Company (1993).

The production of double haploids can also be used for the development of homozygous varieties in a breeding program. Double haploids are produced by the doubling of a set of chromosomes from a heterozygous plant to produce a completely homozygous individual. For example, see Wan, et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 77:889-892 (1989).

Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used for different traits and crops can be found in one of several reference books (e.g., Allard (1960); Simmonds (1979); Sneep, et al. (1979); Fehr (1987)).

Proper testing should detect any major faults and establish the level of superiority or improvement over current cultivars. In addition to showing superior performance, there must be a demand for a new cultivar that is compatible with industry standards or which creates a new market. The introduction of a new cultivar will incur additional costs to the seed producer, and to the grower, processor, and consumer, for special advertising, marketing and commercial production practices, and new product utilization. The testing preceding the release of a new cultivar should take into consideration research and development costs as well as technical superiority of the final cultivar. For seed-propagated cultivars, it must be feasible to produce seed easily and economically.

The cotton flower is monoecious in that the male and female structures are in the same flower. The crossed or hybrid seed is produced by manual crosses between selected parents. Floral buds of the parent that is to be the female are emasculated prior to the opening of the flower by manual removal of the male anthers. At flowering, the pollen from flowers of the parent plants designated as male, are manually placed on the stigma of the previous emasculated flower. Seed developed from the cross is known as first generation (F₁) hybrid seed. Planting of this seed produces F₁ hybrid plants of which half their genetic component is from the female parent and half from the male parent. Segregation of genes begins at meiosis thus producing second generation (F₂) seed. Assuming multiple genetic differences between the original parents, each F₂ seed has a unique combination of genes.

Further Embodiments

With the advent of molecular biological techniques that have allowed the isolation and characterization of genes that encode specific protein products, scientists in the field of plant biology developed a strong interest in engineering the genome of plants to contain and express foreign genes, or additional, or modified versions of native, or endogenous, genes (perhaps driven by different promoters) in order to alter the traits of a plant in a specific manner. Such foreign additional and/or modified genes are referred to herein collectively as “transgenes.” Over the last fifteen to twenty years several methods for producing transgenic plants have been developed, and the present invention, in particular embodiments, also relates to transformed versions of the claimed cultivar.

Plant transformation involves the construction of an expression vector which will function in plant cells. Such a vector comprises DNA comprising a gene under control of or operatively linked to a regulatory element (for example, a promoter). The expression vector may contain one or more such operably linked gene/regulatory element combinations. The vector(s) may be in the form of a plasmid, and can be used alone or in combination with other plasmids, to provide transformed cotton plants, using transformation methods as described below to incorporate transgenes into the genetic material of the cotton plant(s).

Expression Vectors for Cotton Transformation: Marker Genes

Expression vectors include at least one genetic marker operably linked to a regulatory element (for example, a promoter) that allows transformed cells containing the marker to be either recovered by negative selection (i e, inhibiting growth of cells that do not contain the selectable marker gene), or by positive selection (i.e., screening for the product encoded by the genetic marker). Many commonly used selectable marker genes for plant transformation are well known in the transformation arts, and include, for example, genes that code for enzymes that metabolically detoxify a selective chemical agent which may be an antibiotic or an herbicide, or genes that encode an altered target which is insensitive to the inhibitor. A few positive selection methods are also known in the art.

One commonly used selectable marker gene for plant transformation is the neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII), which, when under the control of plant regulatory signals, confers resistance to kanamycin. Fraley, et al., PNAS, 80:4803 (1983). Another commonly used selectable marker gene is the hygromycin phosphotransferase gene which confers resistance to the antibiotic hygromycin. Vanden Elzen, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 5:299 (1985).

Additional selectable marker genes of bacterial origin that confer resistance to antibiotics include gentamycin acetyl transferase, streptomycin phosphotransferase, and aminoglycoside-3′-adenyl transferase, the bleomycin resistance determinant. Hayford, et al., Plant Physiol., 86:1216 (1988); Jones, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 210:86 (1987); Svab, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 14:197 (1990); Hille, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 7:171 (1986). Other selectable marker genes confer resistance to herbicides such as glyphosate, glufosinate, or bromoxynil. Comai, et al., Nature, 317:741-744 (1985); Gordon-Kamm, et al., Plant Cell, 2:603-618 (1990); and Stalker, et al., Science, 242:419-423 (1988).

Other selectable marker genes for plant transformation that are not of bacterial origin include, for example, mouse dihydrofolate reductase, plant 5-enolpyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase and plant acetolactate synthase. Eichholtz, et al., Somatic Cell Mol. Genet., 13:67 (1987); Shah, et al., Science, 233:478 (1986); Charest, et al., Plant Cell Rep., 8:643 (1990).

Another class of marker genes for plant transformation requires screening of presumptively transformed plant cells rather than direct genetic selection of transformed cells for resistance to a toxic substance such as an antibiotic. These genes are particularly useful to quantify or visualize the spatial pattern of expression of a gene in specific tissues and are frequently referred to as reporter genes because they can be fused to a gene or gene regulatory sequence for the investigation of gene expression. Commonly used genes for screening presumptively transformed cells include β-glucuronidase (GUS), β-galactosidase, luciferase, and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. Jefferson, R. A., Plant Mol. Biol. Rep., 5:387 (1987); Teeri, et al., EMBO J., 8:343 (1989); Koncz, et al., PNAS, 84:131 (1987); DeBlock, et al., EMBO J. 3:1681 (1984).

In vivo methods for visualizing GUS activity that do not require destruction of plant tissue are available. Molecular Probes Publication 2908, IMAGENE GREEN, pp. 1-4 (1993) and Naleway, et al., J. Cell Biol., 115:151a (1991). However, these in vivo methods for visualizing GUS activity have not proven useful for recovery of transformed cells because of low sensitivity, high fluorescent backgrounds, and limitations associated with the use of luciferase genes as selectable markers.

More recently, a gene encoding Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) has been utilized as a marker for gene expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Chalfie, et al., Science, 263:802 (1994). GFP and mutants of GFP may be used as screenable markers

Expression Vectors for Cotton Transformation: Promoters

Genes included in expression vectors must be driven by a nucleotide sequence comprising a regulatory element (for example, a promoter). Several types of promoters are now well known in the transformation arts, as are other regulatory elements that can be used alone or in combination with promoters.

As used herein, “promoter” includes reference to a region of DNA upstream from the start of transcription and involved in recognition and binding of RNA polymerase and other proteins to initiate transcription. A “plant promoter” is a promoter capable of initiating transcription in plant cells. Examples of promoters under developmental control include promoters that preferentially initiate transcription in certain tissues, such as leaves, roots, seeds, fibers, xylem vessels, tracheids, or sclerenchyma. Such promoters are referred to as “tissue-preferred.” Promoters which initiate transcription only in certain tissue are referred to as “tissue-specific.” A “cell type” specific promoter primarily drives expression in certain cell types in one or more organs, for example, vascular cells in roots or leaves. An “inducible” promoter is a promoter which is under environmental control. Examples of environmental conditions that may affect transcription by inducible promoters include anaerobic conditions or the presence of light. Tissue-specific, tissue-preferred, cell type specific, and inducible promoters constitute the class of “non-constitutive” promoters. A “constitutive” promoter is a promoter which is active under most environmental conditions.

A. Inducible Promoters:

An inducible promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression in cotton. Optionally, the inducible promoter is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence which is operably linked to a gene for expression in cotton. With an inducible promoter the rate of transcription increases in response to an inducing agent.

Any inducible promoter can be used in the instant invention. See Ward, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 22:361-366 (1993). Exemplary inducible promoters include, but are not limited to, that from the ACEI system which responds to copper (Mett, et al., PNAS, 90:4567-4571 (1993)); Int gene from maize which responds to benzenesulfonamide herbicide safeners (Hershey, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 227:229-237 (1991) and Gatz, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 243:32-38 (1994)); or Tet repressor from Tn10 (Gatz, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 227:229-237 (1991)). A particularly preferred inducible promoter is a promoter that responds to an inducing agent to which plants do not normally respond. An exemplary inducible promoter is the inducible promoter from a steroid hormone gene, the transcriptional activity of which is induced by a glucocorticosteroid hormone (Schena, et al., PNAS, 88:0421 (1991)).

B. Constitutive Promoters:

A constitutive promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression in cotton or the constitutive promoter is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence which is operably linked to a gene for expression in cotton.

Many different constitutive promoters can be utilized in the instant invention. Exemplary constitutive promoters include, but are not limited to, the promoters from plant viruses such as the 35S promoter from CaMV (Odell, et al., Nature, 313:810-812 (1985)) and the promoters from such genes as rice actin (McElroy, et al., Plant Cell, 2:163-171 (1990)); ubiquitin (Christensen, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 12:619-632 (1989) and Christensen, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 18:675-689 (1992)); pEMU (Last, et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 81:581-588 (1991)); MAS (Velten, et al., EMBO J., 3:2723-2730 (1984)); and maize H3 histone (Lepetit, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 231:276-285 (1992) and Atanassova, et al., Plant Journal, 2 (3): 291-300 (1992)).

The ALS promoter, Xbal/Ncol fragment 5′ to the Brassica napus ALS3 structural gene (or a nucleotide sequence similarity to said Xbal/Ncol fragment), represents a particularly useful constitutive promoter. See PCT Application No. WO 96/30530.

C. Tissue-Specific or Tissue-Preferred Promoters:

A tissue-specific promoter is operably linked to a gene for expression in cotton. Optionally, the tissue-specific promoter is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence which is operably linked to a gene for expression in cotton. Plants transformed with a gene of interest operably linked to a tissue-specific promoter produce the protein product of the transgene exclusively, or preferentially, in a specific tissue.

Any tissue-specific or tissue-preferred promoter can be utilized in the instant invention. Exemplary tissue-specific or tissue-preferred promoters include, but are not limited to, a root-preferred promoter, such as that from the phaseolin gene (Murai, et al., Science, 23:476-482 (1983) and Sengupta-Gopalan, et al., PNAS, 82:3320-3324 (1985)); a leaf-specific and light-induced promoter, such as that from cab or rubisco (Simpson, et al., EMBO J., 4(11):2723-2729 (1985) and Timko, et al., Nature, 318:579-582 (1985)); an anther-specific promoter, such as that from LAT52 (Twell, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 217:240-245 (1989)); a pollen-specific promoter, such as that from Zm13 (Guerrero, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 244:161-168 (1993)); or a microspore-preferred promoter, such as that from apg (Twell, et al., Sex. Plant Reprod., 6:217-224 (1993)).

Signal Sequences for Targeting Proteins to Subcellular Compartments

Transport of protein produced by transgenes to a subcellular compartment, such as the chloroplast, vacuole, peroxisome, glyoxysome, cell wall, or mitochondrion, or for secretion into the apoplast, is accomplished by means of operably linking the nucleotide sequence encoding a signal sequence to the 5′ and/or 3′ region of a gene encoding the protein of interest. Targeting sequences at the 5′ and/or 3′ end of the structural gene may determine, during protein synthesis and processing, where the encoded protein is ultimately compartmentalized.

The presence of a signal sequence directs a polypeptide to either an intracellular organelle or subcellular compartment or for secretion to the apoplast. Many signal sequences are known in the art. See, for example, Becker, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 20:49 (1992); Close, P. S., Master's Thesis, Iowa State University (1993); Knox, C., et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 9:3-17 (1987); Lerner, et al., Plant Physiol., 91:124-129 (1989); Fontes, et al., Plant Cell, 3:483-496 (1991); Matsuoka, et al., PNAS, 88:834 (1991); Gould, et al., J. Cell. Biol., 108:1657 (1989); Creissen, et al., Plant J., 2:129 (1991); Kalderon, et al., Cell, 39:499-509 (1984); Steifel, et al., Plant Cell, 2:785-793 (1990).

Foreign Protein Genes and Agronomic Genes

With transgenic plants according to the present invention, a foreign protein can be produced in commercial quantities. Thus, techniques for the selection and propagation of transformed plants, which are well understood in the art, yield a plurality of transgenic plants which are harvested in a conventional manner, and a foreign protein then can be extracted from a tissue of interest or from total biomass. Protein extraction from plant biomass can be accomplished by known methods which are discussed, for example, by Heney and Orr, Anal. Biochem., 114:92-6 (1981).

According to an embodiment, the transgenic plant provided for commercial production of foreign protein is a cotton plant. In another embodiment, the biomass of interest is seed. For the relatively small number of transgenic plants that show higher levels of expression, a genetic map can be generated, primarily via conventional RFLP, PCR, and SSR analysis, which identifies the approximate chromosomal location of the integrated DNA molecule. For exemplary methodologies in this regard, see Glick and Thompson, Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 269:284 (1993). Map information concerning chromosomal location is useful for proprietary protection of a subject transgenic plant. If unauthorized propagation is undertaken and crosses made with other germplasm, the map of the integration region can be compared to similar maps for suspect plants, to determine if the latter have a common parentage with the subject plant. Map comparisons would involve hybridizations, RFLP, PCR, SSR and sequencing, all of which are conventional techniques.

Likewise, agronomic genes can be expressed in transformed plants. More particularly, plants can be genetically engineered to express various phenotypes of agronomic interest. Exemplary genes implicated in this regard include, but are not limited to, those categorized below:

A. Genes that Confer Resistance to Pests or Disease and that Encode:

1. Plant disease resistance genes. Plant defenses are often activated by specific interaction between the product of a disease resistance gene (R) in the plant and the product of a corresponding avirulence (Avr) gene in the pathogen. A plant variety can be transformed with cloned resistance gene to engineer plants that are resistant to specific pathogen strains. See, for example, Jones, et al., Science, 266:789 (1994) (cloning of the tomato Cf-9 gene for resistance to Cladosporium fulvum); Martin, et al., Science, 262:1432 (1993) (tomato Pto gene for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato encodes a protein kinase); Mindrinos, et al., Cell, 78:1089 (1994) (Arabidopsis RSP2 gene for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae).

2. A gene conferring resistance to a pest, such as nematodes. See, e.g., PCT Application No. WO 96/30517; PCT Application No. WO 93/19181.

3. A Bacillus thuringiensis protein, a derivative thereof or a synthetic polypeptide modeled thereon. See, for example, Geiser, et al., Gene, 48:109 (1986), who disclose the cloning and nucleotide sequence of a Bt δ-endotoxin gene. Moreover, DNA molecules encoding .δ-endotoxin genes can be purchased from American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Va., for example, under ATCC Accession Nos. 40098, 67136, 31995, and 31998.

4. A lectin. See, for example, the disclosure by Van Damme, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 24:25 (1994), who disclose the nucleotide sequences of several Clivia miniata mannose-binding lectin genes.

5. A vitamin-binding protein such as avidin. See PCT Application No. US 93/06487. The application teaches the use of avidin and avidin homologues as larvicides against insect pests.

6. An enzyme inhibitor, for example, a protease or proteinase inhibitor or an amylase inhibitor. See, for example, Abe, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 262:16793 (1987) (nucleotide sequence of rice cysteine proteinase inhibitor); Huub, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 21:985 (1993) (nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding tobacco proteinase inhibitor I); Sumitani, et al., Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 57:1243 (1993) (nucleotide sequence of Streptomyces nitrosporeus α-amylase inhibitor); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,813 (Hepher and Atkinson, issued Feb. 27, 1996).

7. An insect-specific hormone or pheromone, such as an ecdysteroid and juvenile hormone, a variant thereof, a mimetic based thereon, or an antagonist or agonist thereof. See, for example, the disclosure by Hammock, et al., Nature, 344:458 (1990), of baculovirus expression of cloned juvenile hormone esterase, an inactivator of juvenile hormone.

8. An insect-specific peptide or neuropeptide which, upon expression, disrupts the physiology of the affected pest. For example, see the disclosures of Regan, J. Biol. Chem., 269:9 (1994) (expression cloning yields DNA coding for insect diuretic hormone receptor) and Pratt, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 163:1243 (1989) (an allostatin is identified in Diploptera puntata). See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,317 to Tomalski, et al., who disclose genes encoding insect-specific, paralytic neurotoxins.

9. An insect-specific venom produced in nature by a snake, a wasp, etc. For example, see Pang, et al., Gene, 116:165 (1992), for disclosure of heterologous expression in plants of a gene coding for a scorpion insectotoxic peptide.

10. An enzyme responsible for a hyper-accumulation of a monoterpene, a sesquiterpene, a steroid, a hydroxamic acid, a phenylpropanoid derivative, or another non-protein molecule with insecticidal activity.

11. An enzyme involved in the modification, including the post-translational modification, of a biologically active molecule. For example, a glycolytic enzyme, a proteolytic enzyme, a lipolytic enzyme, a nuclease, a cyclase, a transaminase, an esterase, a hydrolase, a phosphatase, a kinase, a phosphorylase, a polymerase, an elastase, a chitinase, and a glucanase, whether natural or synthetic. See PCT Application No. WO 93/02197 in the name of Scott, et al., which discloses the nucleotide sequence of a callase gene. DNA molecules which contain chitinase-encoding sequences can be obtained, for example, from the ATCC under Accession Nos. 39637 and 67152. See also, Kramer, et al., Insect Biochem. Molec. Biol., 23:691 (1993), who teach the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding tobacco hornworm chitinase, and Kawalleck, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 21:673 (1993), who provide the nucleotide sequence of the parsley ubi4-2 polyubiquitin gene.

12. A molecule that stimulates signal transduction. For example, see the disclosure by Botella, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 24:757 (1994), of nucleotide sequences for mung bean calmodulin cDNA clones and Griess, et al., Plant Physiol., 104:1467 (1994), who provide the nucleotide sequence of a maize calmodulin cDNA clone.

13. A hydrophobic moment peptide. See PCT Application No. WO 95/16776 (disclosure of peptide derivatives of Tachyplesin which inhibit fungal plant pathogens) and PCT Application No. WO 95/18855 (teaches synthetic antimicrobial peptides that confer disease resistance).

14. A membrane permease, a channel former or a channel blocker. For example, see the disclosure of Jaynes, et al., Plant Sci., 89:43 (1993), of heterologous expression of a cecropin-β-lytic peptide analog to render transgenic tobacco plants resistant to Pseudomonas solanacearum.

15. A viral-invasive protein or a complex toxin derived therefrom. For example, the accumulation of viral coat proteins in transformed plant cells imparts resistance to viral infection and/or disease development effected by the virus from which the coat protein gene is derived, as well as by related viruses. See, Beachy, et al., Ann. Rev. Phytopathol., 28:451 (1990). Coat protein-mediated resistance has been conferred upon transformed plants against alfalfa mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus, tobacco streak virus, potato virus X, potato virus Y, tobacco etch virus, tobacco rattle virus and tobacco mosaic virus. Id.

16. An insect-specific antibody or an immunotoxin derived therefrom. Thus, an antibody targeted to a critical metabolic function in the insect gut would inactivate an affected enzyme, killing the insect. See, Taylor, et al., Abstract #497, Seventh Intl Symposium on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (Edinburgh, Scotland) (1994) (enzymatic inactivation in transgenic tobacco via production of single-chain antibody fragments).

17. A virus-specific antibody. See, for example, Tavladoraki, et al., Nature, 366:469 (1993), who show that transgenic plants expressing recombinant antibody genes are protected from virus attack.

18. A developmental-arrestive protein produced in nature by a pathogen or a parasite. Thus, fungal endo-α-1,4-D-polygalacturonases facilitate fungal colonization and plant nutrient release by solubilizing plant cell wall homo-α-1,4-D-galacturonase. See, Lamb, et al., Bio/technology, 10:1436 (1992). The cloning and characterization of a gene which encodes a bean endopolygalacturonase-inhibiting protein is described by Toubart, et al., Plant J., 2:367 (1992).

19. A developmental-arrestive protein produced in nature by a plant. For example, Logemann, et al., Bio/technology, 10:305 (1992), have shown that transgenic plants expressing the barley ribosome-inactivating gene have an increased resistance to fungal disease.

B. Genes that Confer Resistance to an Herbicide:

1. An herbicide that inhibits the growing point or meristem, such as an imidazolinone or a sulfonylurea. Exemplary genes in this category code for mutant ALS and AHAS enzyme as described, for example, by Lee, et al., EMBO J., 7:1241 (1988), and Miki, et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 80:449 (1990), respectively. Other herbicides such as dicamba increase plant growth.

2. Glyphosate (resistance conferred by mutant 5-enolpyruvlshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) and aroA genes, respectively) and other phosphono compounds such as glufosinate (phosphinothricin acetyl transferase (PAT) and Streptomyces hygroscopicus PAT bar genes), and pyridinoxy or phenoxy proprionic acids and cyclohexones (ACCase inhibitor-encoding genes). See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,835 to Shah, et al., which discloses the nucleotide sequence of a form of EPSP which can confer glyphosate resistance. A DNA molecule encoding a mutant aroA gene can be obtained under ATCC Accession No. 39256, and the nucleotide sequence of the mutant gene is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,061 to Comai. European Patent Application No. 0 333 033 to Kumada, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,374 to Goodman, et al., disclose nucleotide sequences of glutamine synthetase genes which confer resistance to herbicides such as L-phosphinothricin or cyclohexanedione. The nucleotide sequence of a PAT gene is provided in European Application No. 0 242 246 to Leemans, et al. DeGreef, et al., Bio/technology, 7:61 (1989), describe the production of transgenic plants that express chimeric bar genes coding for PAT activity. Exemplary of genes conferring resistance to phenoxy proprionic acids and cyclohexones, such as sethoxydim and haloxyfop are the Acc1-S1, Acc1-S2, and Acc1-S3 genes described by Marshall, et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 83:435 (1992).

3. An herbicide that inhibits photosynthesis, such as a triazine (psbA and gs+ genes) bromoxynil or a benzonitrile (nitrilase gene). Przibila, et al., Plant Cell, 3:169 (1991), describe the transformation of Chlamydomonas with plasmids encoding mutant psbA genes. Nucleotide sequences for nitrilase genes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,648 to Stalker, and DNA molecules containing these genes are available under ATCC Accession Nos. 53435, 67441, and 67442. Cloning and expression of DNA coding for a glutathione S-transferase is described by Hayes, et al., Biochem. J., 285:173 (1992).

C. Genes that Confer or Contribute to a Value-Added Trait, Such as:

1. Modified fatty acid metabolism, for example, by transforming a plant with an antisense gene of stearyl-ACP desaturase to increase stearic acid content of the plant. See Knultzon, et al., PNAS, 89:2624 (1992).

2. Decreased phytate content: (a) Introduction of a phytase-encoding gene would enhance breakdown of phytate, adding more free phosphate to the transformed plant. See, for example, Van Hartingsveldt, et al., Gene, 127:87 (1993), for a disclosure of the nucleotide sequence of an Aspergillus niger phytase gene; and (b) A gene could be introduced that reduced phytate content. For example, in maize, this could be accomplished by cloning and then reintroducing DNA associated with the single allele, which is responsible for maize mutants characterized by low levels of phytic acid. See, Raboy, et al., Maydica, 35:383 (1990).

3. Modified carbohydrate composition effected, for example, by transforming plants with a gene coding for an enzyme that alters the branching pattern of starch. See, Shiroza, et al., J. Bacteol., 170:810 (1988) (nucleotide sequence of Streptococcus mutants fructosyltransferase gene); Steinmetz, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 20:220 (1985) (nucleotide sequence of Bacillus subtilis levansucrase gene); Pen, et al., Bio/technology, 10:292 (1992) (production of transgenic plants that express Bacillus licheniformis α-amylase); Elliot, et al., Plant Molec. Biol., 21:515 (1993) (nucleotide sequences of tomato invertase genes); Sorgaard, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268:22480 (1993) (site-directed mutagenesis of barley α-amylase gene); and Fisher, et al., Plant Physiol., 102:1045 (1993) (maize endosperm starch branching enzyme II).

4. Modified fiber characteristics, such as fiber quality represent another example of a trait that may be modified in cotton varieties. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,588 describes transgenic cotton plants transformed with a sucrose phosphate synthase nucleic acid to alter fiber characteristics such as strength, length, fiber fineness, fiber maturity ratio, immature fiber content, fiber uniformity, and micronaire. Cotton plants comprising one or more genes coding for an enzyme selected from the group consisting of endoxyloglucan transferase, catalase and peroxidase for the improvement of cotton fiber characteristics are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,022. Cotton fiber modification using ovary-tissue transcriptional factors preferentially directing gene expression in ovary tissue, particularly in very early fruit development, utilized to express genes encoding isopentenyl transferase in cotton ovule tissue and modify the characteristics of boll set in cotton plants and alter fiber quality characteristics including fiber dimension and strength is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,329,570. A gene controlling the fiber formation mechanism in cotton plants is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,174. Genes involved in lignin biosynthesis are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,514.

Methods for Cotton Transformation

Numerous methods for plant transformation have been developed, including biological and physical, plant transformation protocols. See, for example, Mild, et al., “Procedures for Introducing Foreign DNA into Plants” in Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Glick and Thompson (Eds.), CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, pp. 67-88 (1993). In addition, expression vectors and in vitro culture methods for plant cell or tissue transformation and regeneration of plants are available. See, for example, Gruber, et al., “Vectors for Plant Transformation” in Methods in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Glick and Thompson (Eds.), CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, pp. 89-119 (1993).

A. Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation:

One method for introducing an expression vector into plants is based on the natural transformation system of Agrobacterium. See, for example, Horsch, et al., Science, 227:1229 (1985). A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes are plant pathogenic soil bacteria which genetically transform plant cells. The Ti and Ri plasmids of A. tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes, respectively, carry genes responsible for genetic transformation of the plant. See, for example, Kado, C. I., Crit. Rev. Plant Sci., 10:1 (1991). Descriptions of Agrobacterium vector systems and methods for Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer are provided by Gruber, et al., supra, Miki, et al., supra, and Moloney, et al., Plant Cell Rep., 8:238 (1989). See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055 (Townsend and Thomas), issued Oct. 8, 1996.

B. Direct Gene Transfer:

Several methods of plant transformation, collectively referred to as direct gene transfer, have been developed as an alternative to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. A generally applicable method of plant transformation is microprojectile-mediated transformation wherein DNA is carried on the surface of microprojectiles measuring 1 μm to 4 μm. The expression vector is introduced into plant tissues with a biolistic device that accelerates the microprojectiles to speeds of 300 m/s to 600 m/s which is sufficient to penetrate plant cell walls and membranes. Sanford, et al., Part. Sci. Technol., 5:27 (1987); Sanford, J. C., Trends Biotech., 6:299 (1988); Klein, et al., Bio/technology, 6:559-563 (1988); Sanford, J. C., Physiol Plant, 7:206 (1990); Klein, et al., Bio/technology, 10:268 (1992). See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,580 (Christou, et al.), issued May 14, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,783 (Tomes, et al.), issued Jun. 21, 1994.

Another method for physical delivery of DNA to plants is sonication of target cells. Zhang, et al., Bio/technology, 9:996 (1991). Alternatively, liposome and spheroplast fusion have been used to introduce expression vectors into plants. Deshayes, et al., EMBO J., 4:2731 (1985); Christou, et al., PNAS, 84:3962 (1987). Direct uptake of DNA into protoplasts using CaCl₂ precipitation, polyvinyl alcohol, or poly-L-ornithine has also been reported. Hain, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:161 (1985) and Draper, et al., Plant Cell Physiol. 23:451 (1982). Electroporation of protoplasts and whole cells and tissues has also been described. Donn, et al., In Abstracts of VIIth International Congress on Plant Cell and Tissue Culture IAPTC, A2-38, p. 53 (1990); D'Halluin, et al., Plant Cell, 4:1495-1505 (1992); and Spencer, et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 24:51-61 (1994).

Following transformation of cotton target tissues, expression of the above-described selectable marker genes allows for preferential selection of transformed cells, tissues, and/or plants, using regeneration and selection methods now well known in the art.

The foregoing methods for transformation would typically be used for producing a transgenic variety. The transgenic variety could then be crossed, with another (non-transformed or transformed) variety, in order to produce a new transgenic variety. Alternatively, a genetic trait which has been engineered into a particular cotton cultivar using the foregoing transformation techniques could be moved into another cultivar using traditional backcrossing techniques that are well known in the plant breeding arts. For example, a backcrossing approach could be used to move an engineered trait from a public, non-elite variety into an elite variety, or from a variety containing a foreign gene in its genome into a variety or varieties which do not contain that gene. As used herein, “crossing” can refer to a simple X by Y cross, or the process of backcrossing, depending on the context.

C. Single-Gene Conversion

When the term “cotton plant” is used in the context of the present invention, this also includes any single gene conversions of that variety. The term “single gene converted plant” as used herein refers to those cotton plants which are developed by a plant breeding technique called backcrossing wherein essentially all of the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in addition to the single gene transferred into the variety via the backcrossing technique. Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improve or introduce a characteristic into the variety. The term “backcrossing” as used herein refers to the repeated crossing of a hybrid progeny back to the recurrent parent, i.e., backcrossing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or more times to the recurrent parent. The parental cotton plant which contributes the gene for the desired characteristic is termed the “nonrecurrent” or “donor parent”. This terminology refers to the fact that the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in the backcross protocol and therefore does not recur. The parental cotton plant to which the gene or genes from the nonrecurrent parent are transferred is known as the recurrent parent as it is used for several rounds in the backcrossing protocol (Poehlman $ Sleper (1994); Fehr (1987)). In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety of interest (recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrent parent) that carries the single gene of interest to be transferred. The resulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to the recurrent parent and the process is repeated until a cotton plant is obtained wherein essentially all of the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered in the converted plant, in addition to the single transferred gene from the nonrecurrent parent, as determined at the 5% significance level when grown in the same environmental conditions.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for a successful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol is to alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the original variety. To accomplish this, a single gene of the recurrent variety is modified or substituted with the desired gene from the nonrecurrent parent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desired genetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphological, constitution of the original variety. The choice of the particular nonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross. One of the major purposes is to add some commercially desirable, agronomically important trait to the plant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristic or trait being altered to determine an appropriate testing protocol. Although backcrossing methods are simplified when the characteristic being transferred is a dominant allele, a recessive allele may also be transferred. In this instance it may be necessary to introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desired characteristic has been successfully transferred.

Many single gene traits have been identified that are not regularly selected for in the development of a new variety but that can be improved by backcrossing techniques. Single gene traits may or may not be transgenic. Examples of these traits include but are not limited to, male sterility, waxy starch, herbicide resistance, resistance for bacterial, fungal, or viral disease, insect resistance, male fertility, enhanced nutritional quality, industrial usage, yield stability, and yield enhancement. These genes are generally inherited through the nucleus. Several of these single gene traits are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,959,185; 5,973,234; and 5,977,445, the disclosures of which are specifically hereby incorporated by reference.

Further reproduction of the variety can occur by tissue culture and regeneration. Tissue culture of various tissues of cotton and regeneration of plants therefrom is well known and widely published. For example, reference may be had to Komatsuda, T., et al., Crop Sci., 31:333-337 (1991); Stephens, P. A., et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 82:633-635 (1991); Komatsuda, T., et al., Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, 28:103-113 (1992); Dhir, S., et al. Plant Cell Rep., 11:285-289 (1992); Pandey, P., et al., Japan J. Breed., 42:1-5 (1992); and Shetty, K., et al., Plant Science, 81:245-251 (1992); as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,944 issued Jun. 18, 1991 to Collins, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,200 issued Apr. 16, 1991 to Ranch, et al. Thus, another aspect of this invention is to provide cells which upon growth and differentiation produce cotton plants having the physiological and morphological characteristics of cotton cultivar L-373.

As used herein, the term “tissue culture” indicates a composition comprising isolated cells of the same or a different type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of a plant. Exemplary types of tissue cultures are protoplasts, calli, plant clumps, and plant cells that can generate tissue culture that are intact in plants or parts of plants, such as embryos, pollen, flowers, seeds, leaves, stems, roots, root tips, anthers, pistils, and the like. Means for preparing and maintaining plant tissue culture are well known in the art. By way of example, a tissue culture comprising organs has been used to produce regenerated plants. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,959,185; 5,973,234; and 5,977,445, described certain techniques.

This invention also is directed to methods for producing a cotton plant by crossing a first parent cotton plant with a second parent cotton plant wherein the first or second parent cotton plant is a cotton plant of the cultivar L-373. Further, both first and second parent cotton plants can come from the cotton cultivar L-373. Additionally, the first or second parent cotton plants can be either Gossypium hirsutum or Gossypium barbadense, or any other cotton plant. Thus, any such methods using the cotton cultivar L-373 are part of this invention: selling, backcrosses, hybrid production, crosses to populations, and the like. All plants produced using cotton cultivar L-373 as a parent are within the scope of this invention, including those developed from varieties derived from cotton cultivar L-373. Advantageously, the cotton cultivar could be used in crosses with other, different, cotton plants to produce first generation (F₁) cotton hybrid seeds and plants with superior characteristics. The other, different, cotton plants may be Gossypium hirsutum or Gossypium barbadense or another cotton cultivar. The cultivar of the invention can also be used for transformation where exogenous genes are introduced and expressed by the cultivar of the invention. Genetic variants created either through traditional breeding methods using cultivar L-373 or through transformation of L-373 by any of a number of protocols known to those of skill in the art are intended to be within the scope of this invention.

The following describes breeding methods that may be used with cultivar L-373 in the development of further cotton plants. One such embodiment is a method for developing a L-373 progeny cotton plant in a cotton plant breeding program comprising: obtaining the cotton plant, or a part thereof, of cultivar L-373, utilizing said plant or plant part as a source of breeding material, and selecting a L-373 progeny plant with molecular markers in common with L-373 and/or with morphological and/or physiological characteristics selected from the characteristics listed in Tables 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Breeding steps that may be used in the cotton plant breeding program include pedigree breeding, backcrossing, mutation breeding, and recurrent selection. In conjunction with these steps, techniques such as RFLP-enhanced selection, genetic marker enhanced selection (for example, SSR markers), and the making of double haploids may be utilized.

Another method involves producing a population of cultivar L-373 progeny cotton plants, comprising crossing cultivar L-373 with another cotton plant, thereby producing a population of cotton plants, which, on average, derive 50% of their alleles from cultivar L-373. The other cotton plant may be Gossypium hirsutum or Gossypium barbadense or any other cotton plant. A plant of this population may be selected and repeatedly selfed or sibbed with a cotton cultivar resulting from these successive filial generations. One embodiment of this invention is the cotton cultivar produced by this method and that has obtained at least 50% of its alleles from cultivar L-373.

One of ordinary skill in the art of plant breeding would know how to evaluate the traits of two plant varieties to determine if there is no significant difference between the two traits expressed by those varieties. For example, see Fehr and Walt, Principles of Cultivar Development, pp. 261-286 (1987). Thus the invention includes cotton cultivar L-373 progeny cotton plants comprising a combination of at least two L-373 traits selected from the group consisting of those listed in Tables 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 or the L-373 combination of traits listed in the Summary, so that said progeny cotton plant is not significantly different for said traits than cotton cultivar L-373 as determined at the 5% significance level when grown in the same environment. Using techniques described herein, molecular markers may be used to identify said progeny plant as a L-373 progeny plant. Mean trait values may be used to determine whether trait differences are significant, and the traits are measured on plants grown under the same environmental conditions. Once such a variety is developed its value is substantial since it is important to advance the germplasm base as a whole in order to maintain or improve traits such as yield, disease resistance, pest resistance, and plant performance in extreme environmental conditions.

Progeny of cultivar L-373 may also be characterized through their filial relationship with cotton cultivar L-373, as for example, being within a certain number of breeding crosses of cotton cultivar L-373. A breeding cross is a cross made to introduce new genetics into the progeny, and is distinguished from a cross, such as a self or a sib cross, made to select among existing genetic alleles. The lower the number of breeding crosses in the pedigree, the closer the relationship between cotton cultivar L-373 and its progeny. For example, progeny produced by the methods described herein may be within 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 breeding crosses of cotton cultivar L-373.

As used herein, the term “plant” includes plant cells, plant protoplasts, plant cell tissue cultures from which cotton plants can be regenerated, plant calli, plant clumps, and plant cells that are intact in plants or parts of plants, such as embryos, pollen, boll, ovules, flowers, leaves, roots, root tips, anthers, pistils, and the like.

DEPOSIT INFORMATION

A deposit of the cotton variety named L-373 disclosed above and recited in the appended claims has been made with the National Collections of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria (NCIMB), NCIMB Ltd., Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9YA, Scotland, UK. The date of deposit was Apr. 24, 2012. The deposit of 2,500 seeds was taken from the same deposit maintained by House of Agriculture Spirou AEBE, since prior to the filing date of this application. All restrictions upon the deposit have been removed, and the deposit is intended to meet all of the requirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.801-1.809. The NCIMB accession number is NCIMB No. 41962. The deposit will be maintained in the depository for a period of 30 years, or 5 years after the last request, or for the effective life of the patent, whichever is longer, and will be replaced as necessary during that period.

While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions, and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A seed of cotton cultivar L-373, wherein a representative sample of seed of said cultivar was deposited under NCIMB No.41962.
 2. A cotton plant, or a regenerable part thereof, produced by growing the seed of claim
 1. 3. A tissue culture of cells produced from the plant of claim 2, wherein said cells of the tissue culture are produced from a plant part chosen from leaves, pollen, boll, embryos, cotyledons, hypocotyl, meristematic cells, roots, root tips, pistils, anthers, flowers, and stems.
 4. A protoplast produced from the plant of claim
 2. 5. A protoplast produced from the tissue culture of claim
 3. 6. A cotton plant regenerated from the tissue culture of claim 3, wherein the plant has all of the morphological and physiological characteristics of cultivar L-373 listed in Table 1, wherein a representative sample of seed was deposited under NCIMB No.41962.
 7. A method for producing an F₁ hybrid cotton seed, wherein the method comprises crossing the plant of claim 2 with a different cotton plant and harvesting the resultant F₁ hybrid cotton seed.
 8. A hybrid cotton seed produced by the method of claim
 7. 9. A hybrid cotton plant, or a regenerable part thereof, produced by growing said hybrid seed of claim
 8. 10. A method of producing an herbicide resistant cotton plant, wherein the method comprises transforming the cotton plant of claim 2 with a transgene wherein the transgene confers resistance to an herbicide chosen from glyphosate, sulfonylurea, imidazolinone, dicamba, glufosinate, phenoxy proprionic acid, cyclohexanedione, L-phosphinothricin, triazine, benzonitrile, and bromoxynil.
 11. An herbicide resistant cotton plant produced by the method of claim
 10. 12. A method of producing an insect resistant cotton plant, wherein the method comprises transforming the cotton plant of claim 2 with a transgene that confers insect resistance.
 13. An insect resistant cotton plant produced by the method of claim
 12. 14. The cotton plant of claim 13, wherein the transgene encodes a Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin.
 15. A method of producing a disease resistant cotton plant, wherein the method comprises transforming the cotton plant of claim 2 with a transgene that confers disease resistance.
 16. A disease resistant cotton plant produced by the method of claim
 15. 17. A method of introducing a desired trait into cotton cultivar L-373, wherein the method comprises: (a) crossing a L-373 plant, wherein a representative sample of seed was deposited under NCIMB No.41962, with a plant of another cotton cultivar that comprises a desired trait to produce progeny plants wherein the desired trait is selected from the group consisting of male sterility, herbicide resistance, insect resistance, modified fatty acid metabolism, modified carbohydrate metabolism, modified cotton fiber characteristics and resistance to bacterial disease, fungal disease or viral disease; (b) selecting one or more progeny plants that have the desired trait to produce selected progeny plants; (c) crossing the selected progeny plants with the L-373 plants to produce backcross progeny plants; (d) selecting for backcross progeny plants that have the desired trait and the physiological and morphological characteristics of cotton cultivar L-373 listed in Table 1 to produce selected backcross progeny plants; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) two or more times in succession to produce selected fourth or higher backcross progeny plants that comprise the desired trait and the physiological and morphological characteristics of cotton cultivar L-373 listed in Table
 1. 18. A cotton plant produced by the method of claim 17, wherein the plant has the desired trait and all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of cotton cultivar L-373 listed in Table
 1. 19. The cotton plant of claim 18, wherein the desired trait is herbicide resistance and the resistance is conferred to an herbicide chosen from glyphosate, sulfonylurea, imidazolinone, dicamba, glufosinate, phenoxy proprionic acid, cyclohexanedione, L-phosphinothricin, triazine, benzonitrile, and bromoxynil.
 20. The cotton plant of claim 18, wherein the desired trait is insect resistance and the insect resistance is conferred by a transgene encoding a Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin. 